Previously, many types of automatic coffee brewers have been developed for use in brewing coffee for commercial establishments. It is customary in many automated machines to maintain a reservoir full of water prior to staring the brewing process to eliminate the time it takes to fill the reservoir. Furthermore, in almost all cases prior art maintains the stored water at an elevated temperature to hasten the entire brewing procedure.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date 5,875,703 Rolfes Mar. 2. 1999 5,836,236 Rolfes et al Nov. 17, 1998 5,404,794 Patel et al Apr. 11, 1995 5,063,836 Patel Nov. 12, 1991
Rolfes own U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,703 teaches an improvement on a coffee brewer and hot water dispenser which permits larger capacity by the use of a bypass hot water cycle adding a predetermined volume of water to the container and supplementing the control by expanding its capabilities using multiple sequencing of the brew cycle for increasing the volume of brewed coffee. Replacement water is introduced into the brewer from an outside city service source when the brew cycle draws all of the water from the reservoir making it available for the next cycle. This water is stored at the predetermined temperature as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,236, upon which this improvement is based.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,236 issued to Rolfes et al., in which the first named inventor is the present inventor, discloses a coffee brewer and hot water dispenser which brews both coffee and also dispenses hot water from a separate system. The invention fills the tank upon completion of a brew cycle and employs a pre-heater that is attached to the brew tank through interconnecting tubing. The pre-heater is electrically cycled on and off and maintains the water temperature within the brew water tank at 150 degrees F. (65.6 degrees C.). The electronic controller maintains this temperature within a 10 degree (F.) range. A second hot water tank fills in the same manner and likewise contains a heater identical to the pre-heater except it maintains the water temperature at 185 degrees F. (85 degrees C.). This hot water tank is used for dispensing preheated water for tea or other similar beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,794 of Patel et al. discloses a coffee making machine having a reservoir connected to an external water supply via a valve which divides the water into separate hot and cold water tanks. Heated water from a boiler is fed into an expansion chamber and then discharged into the ground coffee through a spray head at the end of an expansion chamber. A heating element is in the hot water tank and is energized by the controller to maintain the water therein at a preselected temperature. If the heating element is on and the brew cycle is initiated, the controller disables the heating element until the brew cycle is completed.
Patel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,836 teaches a coffee making machine of the type adapted to be connected to city water supply. The device includes a reservoir having a level sensor controlling a water refill valve to the reservoir and a heating element which heats the water therein. A level sensor functions to permit automatic refill of the reservoir at the appropriate level for subsequent brewing of a full pot of coffee irrespective of the water pressure and the previous route of the water. A solid state circuit board controls the operational sequence and the functions of the machine. The electronically controlled thermostat allow only small decreases in temperature, i.e. 3 degrees F. before operation to reheat the water in the reservoir. The water may accordingly be stored at a temperature closer to the boiling point and delivered to contact coffee grounds for brewing purposes at temperatures of not less than 200 degrees F.